Duty
by Eli
Summary: Ved returns to Ram only to leave again when he finds out where Cloe is. Cledism, season four.


Title: Duty

Author: The lyrical Eli

Summary: After their battle, Ved returns to Ram only to leave again to get Cloe and bring her back. Season Four, tweaking canon events.

Disclaimer: If only, if only…

It was his fault.

He changes the wet rag on her forehead, and she turns away to avoid being touched. He gets the same reaction when he tries to hold her hand. Half conscious, she refuses food, water, everything that may take her out of 'The Game'. With a sigh, he resigns himself to tracing the bedding around her wrist, still red from being restrained.

It had been twenty-four hours since he had found her, had limped his way to the labs and had disconnected Cloe from the system. Still weak from his virtual battle, he had to settle with bringing her to the mall for care. The hospital was crowded enough as it was, especially after the last raid on the labs.

The labs. It made him sick to just think of them. Sustained living dead strapped to machines he helped create. Units. Units were people. Humans being used, sucked dry. Cloe being used and sucked dry. Cloe lying nearly comatose in front of him. After that, it didn't take much for the Mallrats to get the location out of him.

The mall was virtually empty, except for Siva and the two kids, only one of which dared to come close enough to be seen in his presence, armed with a stick. Cloe herself had scared the little girl out soon enough, running out yelling something about zombies.

Ved felt like a zombie. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept. He really should be hiding from Ram, who must've noticed his absence by now. He should be leaving Cloe's care to someone more conscious who wasn't harboring a wound. He blinks twice, eyes watering. No, he had to do this. She was his responsibility. He deserved this.

It was all his fault.

It was him who had made the technology possible. Had made it so that it could maintain living organism as long as they could give output on what they saw. It was he who had perfected 'The Game'. A cold thing in his stomach reminded him of the others deleted because of his creations, but they were still nameless in his head. He didn't care about them; he cared about Cloe. That's why Ram had her removed from The Game and put into the labs, to keep him from her. His fingers brush against her wrist slightly and she moves her arm to her side.

He barely notices the commotion as the mallrats begin to come home, seemingly victorious. A few heads pop in to ask about Cloe, and he either shakes his head or nods. He's still not too fond of them, and vice versa. Only Salene bothers to ask about him, asking if he needs anything. He shakes his head. She tucks in Cloe gently and leaves.

Cloe twists and turns in her sleep, if you could call it that. Her eyes clench shut to keep reality out. Ved can only sit by her side, trying to stay awake, pleading with powers he's never believed in before to make her better. His thoughts get interrupted again by his older brother.

Jay puts a hand on his shoulder, his thumb rubbing up and down at tense muscles, trying to be comforting. Ved is too tired to waste effort pushing his brother off. In the old days, they had clung together like lifelines. Now, he could barely stand to be in the same room with his brother, each equally disappointed in the other. Each equally willing to please to get somebody's approval.

"How is she?" Ved shrugs. "Her body will get tired soon enough, and then she'll be able to get some real sleep." Jay turns so he can see his brother's face. "Speaking of which, you look about ready to collapse. You should get some sleep yourself." Ved shakes his head vigorously. "They're all back now. I'm sure Salene or Amber wouldn't mind-"

"No." He says quietly. "I have to watch her."

"Ved…."

"No! I have to do this. She's my responsibility. It's my fa…." He trails off. "I have to do this."

Silence.

"She's why you went back, isn't it? Because only Ram knew where she was."

Ved nodded. "He should be updating his security right about now."

"You told me you didn't care about her." Ved turns to glare up at him. Jay takes his hand off his shoulder as he gestures for his sibling to calm down. This whole situation has been like a tire iron in the head to Jay. First the fight, and now this. His brother, the pig-headed spoiled brat with a chip on his shoulder, now nursing his sick girlfriend back to life.

"You should know, they saved a lot of people today because of what you told them." He shrugs again. "And they appreciate you bringing back Cloe."

"Like I could've left her there." He says coldly. She winces and shivers in her trance. He pulls up one of the blankets she has bunched up at the bottom. She pushes it and Ved away from herself and turns onto her side. It's not really a rejection, but the voice in his head insists that is what it is, and he doesn't fight it. Rejection, guilt, shame, and pain. He deserves this.

Because it is all his fault.

"All my fault." He repeats out loud unknowingly. His brother stares at him incredulously before shaking his head.

"Ved, this isn't your fault."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it isn't. You didn't-"

"Yes, I did. I did everything. Don't you get it? I created what she had to test. I'm the reason why Ram had her sent there. He called her a 'distraction'. She's just dumb, she didn't do anything. She's just Cloe, and…" He trails off.

"And?" Jay asks softly.

Ved sighs. "I saw her on the surveillance camera for the labs." He closes his eyes and grits his teeth. "I saw her, and she was half used, and I knew… I had looked for her for so long, and she wasn't okay. I couldn't leave her there. I couldn't." He opens his eyes again and stares at her face. "It's my fault, so I have to take care of her. I have to make her better. I have to."

Jay expected tears after such a catharsis, but there were none. He puts his hand on Ved's shoulder again. His mouth opens and then shuts. He knows there would be no use in trying to persuade him. Like in all things, Ved would have to figure things out for himself.

He moves to return to the rest of the mall. He gets to the door and turns back around. "I'll try to let them leave this up to you, but I can't guarantee you anything. And get some sleep." Ved makes no signal that he heard him. Jay sighs out of exasperation. 'Stubborn little snot.'

Hours go by, and only Cloe's increasingly erratic movements are keeping him awake. Her body temperature increases faster than he can cool her. She keeps making sound of discomfort and pain. When he tries to feel her forehead, she actually reaches out to hit him. He backs away, watching her spasm. His eyes inadvertently fly towards the door. The lights in the mall are all off, and everyone must be asleep. No one is coming, and although he would have refused assistance if anyone did come, as Cloe cries in her half conscious state as he tries to pin her arms down, he begins to contemplate calling for help before she hurt herself anymore.

She tries to shove Ved off with her shoulders, and the force almost knocks him off his feet. He grits his teeth. No, no calling for help. This was his job, his responsibility. She continues to struggle, now using her whole body to fight him off, to fight off whoever he was in her head. Blue team. Red team. Dreams. Nightmares.

Cloe gives another hard shove, and Ved trips backwards over the chair. Cloe's eyes are half opened and she gets up. She looks for something to attack with, but finds nothing. As Ved gets back up, she looks toward the door. He grabs her as she attempts to flee. They struggle as she tries to free her arms.

He pulls her closer and begins calling her name. At first he shouts, but it only agitates her more, so he draws her even closer so he can whisper in her ear. She claws at his chest and he tells her to wake up. She bites at his neck and shoulders as he stumbles though apologies for everything that has happened. She tastes his blood and he continues to whisper to her. "Wake up." He says. "You're my girl. You belong here with me. So wake up." The taste in her mouth disgusts her and when it won't go away, she groans in frustration. He holds her tighter. "Wake up, Cloe." He whispers. "Please. Please wake up."

Her attacks become weaker and weaker, and eventually, she stops attacking all together. Her arms go limp and would fall to her side if he didn't have such a rigid grip on her. She digs her forehead into his shoulder and he can't tell if she's crying or not. Ved begins swaying on his feet, and he remembers again how exhausted he is. He leads her back to bed and pulls the blankets up. She shuts her eyes and he sits back down next to her. He takes her hand, and the last thing he remembers is relief washing over him when she doesn't try to pull her hand back.

In the morning, or at least when he wakes up, he finds his head and arms on her bed. He also finds his hand still in hers. She shifted closer while they've slept, and now their faces are inches apart. He could do the romantic thing and kiss her awake, but he's not the type, so the thought never comes to him. Instead, he scoots closer and grips her hand tighter before closing his eyes again to sleep.

"My girl." He mumbles. "All mine."

The End


End file.
